Ditching-machine.



PATENTED APR. 21,1903.

J. Afl POX. DITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2'.

H0 MODEL. 1

m: NORBXS PETER: cu. puo'rou'rnu. wAsumsTom n L 3UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

DlTCH lNG-lYlACHlNE.

JOHN A. Fox,-oF cov1'NGToN, INDIANA.

sPEcIFIcA'TioN forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,041, dated April 21, 1903. A lication filed May 28,1902. Serial No. 109,316. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. FOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oovington, in the county of Fountain and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful'Ditching-Machine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as 'will enable others: appertains to,

skilled in the art to'which'it make and use the same.

purposes and adapted to elevate the excavated earth and discharge the same at one side of the ditch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ditching-machine in which the excavat ing and elevating mechanism may be readily 1 raised andilowered to place it in position for operation -and'to liftit clear of the ground whenturningthe machine and when hauling the same from one point to another.

The'invention consists in the novelcon struction and arrangement of parts hereinafter 'describedand shown, and pointedout in the .clai'msappendedhereto.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, andin'whichlike numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts, Fig'ure'1 is a side elevation of a ditching-machine constructed'in accordance'with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view'ofthe same. Figlz3 is a'reverse plan view.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a main frame, designed to be constructed of heavy timbers or other suitable material and supported at the front by small wheels 2, mounted-upon the ends of the front axle 3, which is .pivotally connected with a front bolster 4 in any suitable manner and which is designed to havea tongue or draft-beam connected to it to enable the machine to be drawn by horses or other draft-animals, and the latter are designed to walk at opposite sides of the ditch. The front portion 5 ofthe frame is elevated slightly to enable the front wheels 2 to pass under it, and the front axle is supported by an inclined brace 6, extending upward and rearward to the frame and secured to the same at the center of the front 1:

portion thereof.

The main frame is supported at the back :by hind wheels 7 and s, and it is provided with inclined guide-bars 9, forming a track for an adjustable plow-carrying elevatorframe 10, adapted to be raised and lowered toarrange a plow or scoop 11 in position for =operationfor excavating in a ditch and. to

lift "it clear of-the ground to enable the machine to be turned or hauled from one point to another. The inclined guide-bars 9 are supported by posts or uprights 12, rising from the back of the main frame and forming, with the bars 9, an approximately triangular guideframe.

The frame 10 is slidably mounted on the inclined track of the guide-frame, and it is composed of side portions and a connecting transverse or top portion to provide a casing or housing for a main longitudinal endless carrier or elevator 13, which is, adapted to receive the earth from the plow or scoop 11 and convey the same upward to a transverse conveyer or carrier 14, which discharges the earth at one side of the machine at a point beyond the ditchl The main endless carrier or elevator, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, is provided with a centrally-arranged sprocket-chain 15, meshing with upper and lowersprocket-pinions 16 and 17 of transverse shafts 18 and 19, and the said sprocket-chain is driven bya centrally-arranged sprocket-wheel 20, located between the flights of the main elevator or carrier and mounted on a shaft 21, which extends to theleft-ha'nd side of the machine. A sprocket-wheel 22 is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 21 at the lefthand side of the machine and is connected by a rearwardly-extending sprocket-chain 23 with a rear sprocket-wheel 24, and the latter is connected with a spur-pinion-25. The spurpinion 25 meshes with'a cog-wheel 26 of the left hind wheel7. By this construction and arrangement of gearing motion is 'communh to elevate the earth excavated by the plow or scoop. The sprocket-chain 23 is maintained at the proper tension by a belt-tightener 27, consisting of a sprocket-pinion and a plate 28, carrying the sprocket-pinion and adjustably mounted on the main frame, preferably by means of abolt-and-slot connection. The sprocket-pinion is adapted to take up any slack of the sprocket-chain 23 incident to any adjustment of the frame 10. I

Shaft 19 at the upper end of the main elevator carries a sprocket-wheel 29, which is connected by a sprocket chain 30 with a sprocket-pinion 31 of a shaft 32, located beneath the upper end of the main elevator and extending from the right-hand side of the machine to the inner end of the transverse carrier or conveyer 14. The shaft 32 is provided at its inner end with a beveled gear 33, which meshes with a beveled gear 34 of a shaft 35 of the inner end of the transverse carrier 14. The beveled gearing reverses the direction of the rotation of the shafting and actuates the carrier 14 in the proper direction to discharge the earth from the machine. The shaft 35 carries a central sprocket-wheel 36, and journaled in suitable bearings of a frame 37, which is supported by suitable bars 38, connected with the frame 10 and provided with slides 39, arranged on the guide-bars 9, whereby the transverse carrier will be raised and lowered with the main elevator. The transverse carrier or conveyer is provided with a centrally-arranged sprocket-chain 40, which meshes with a centrally-arranged pinion 41, located at the outer end of the frame 37 of the transverse conveyer. The inclined longitudinal endless carrier or elevator carries the loose earth excavated by the plow or scoop upward and deposits the same upon the transverse carrier, which discharges the earth at one side of the machine and beyond the ditch excavated by the latter.

The frame 10 is provided with an inclined rack-bar 42, which meshes with a large gearwheel 43, located at the front of the machine in advance of the frame 10 and adapted to be rotated to raise and lower the plow or scoop. The gear-wheel 43 is mounted on a suitable shaft which is journaled in suitable bearings of an upright supporting-frame 44; but the gear-wheel may be mounted in any other suitable manner. The gear-wheel 43 is rotated by means of a pinion 45, meshing with the, said gear-wheel and mounted on a suitable shaft and provided with a crankhandle 46. The crank-handle is adapted to be rotated to raise and lower the frame 10, and the latter is locked in its adjusted position by a pawl 47, pivotally mounted on the upright supporting-frame and engaging the pinion 45.

The rear axle 48 is provided at its end with arms 54, located at opposite sides of the frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. These arms extend forwardly and are provided with spindles for the reception of hind wheels 7 and 8. The axle 48 is also provided with an upwardly-extending arm or lever 49, by means of which the axle is partially rotated to raise and lower the rear portion of the frame of the machine. The arm orlever 49 carries a springactuated pawl or detent 5 0 for engaging a curved ratchet 51 for holding the frame of the machine in its adjusted position. The bearings 52 of the shaft upon which the sprocket-wheel 24 is mounted are designed to be adjustable to enable the gear-wheel 25 to mesh properly with the gea'r wheel of the hind wheel 7. The frame of the machine is designed to be provided with a suitable platform or running-board to enable the operator to pass rearward to the arm or lever 49 for operating the same, and, if necessary, the sprocket-chain may be lengthened or shortened by removing or increasing the links of the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine of the class described, comrisin a main frame havin inclined widebars, an elevator frame slidably mounted on the guide-bars and provided with rearwardly-extendin g bars having slides arranged on the guide-bars, a transverse conveyor, supported by the rearwardly-extending bars and means for raising and lowering the elevatorframe, substantially as described.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising a main frame having inclined guidebars, a slidable elevator-frame mounted on the guide-bars, an endless carrier, mounted on the elevator-frame and provided with a sprocket-chain, a sprocket-wheel arranged between the flights of the endless carrier and meshing with the sprocket-chain and supported by the main frame, means for raising and lowering the elevator-frame and gearing connected with the sprocket-wheel for operating the endless carrier, substantially as de-' scribed.

3. A machine of the class described, com

prising a main frame having an inclined guide, a slidable elevator-frame mounted on the guide, a transverse conveyer connected with and carried by the elevator-frame, an endless carrier also mounted on the elevatorframe and provided with a sprocket-chain, sprocket-wheel arranged between the flights of the endless carrier and meshing with the sprocket-chain, gearing for connecting the conveyer and the endless carrier, a rack-bar secured to the elevator-frame, a gear-wheel meshing with the rack-bar, and gearing for operating the sprocket-wheel, substantially as described.

4. A machine of the class described, comprising a main frame, front and rear wheels, supporting the same, an inclined guide, mounted on the main frame, a slidable elevator-frame arranged on the guide, means for raising and lowering the elevator-frame, an endless carrier mounted on the elevator-frame and having a centrally-arranged sprocketchain, sprocket-wheel, arranged between the flights of the endless carrier and meshing with In testimony whereof I have hereto affixed the sprocket-chain, a gear-Wheel, connected my signature in 'the presence of two wit with one of the rear wheels of the machine, nesses.

a. spur-pinion meshing with the gear-wheel, JOHN A. FOX. and sprocket-gearing connecting the pinion Witnesses: with the sprocket-wheel, substantially as de- F. A. GLASCOCK,

scribed. v CLARENCE W. NELSON. 

